Read Online Slade's Secret Son by Elizabeth August - Free Book Online
Authors: Elizabeth August
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for me, too.”
Handing the phone over to Slade, she heard him ask to speak to Andy and watched as the grim lines of his face softened. When he finished talking to his son, he asked to speak to his mother.
“Are you making our guests comfortable?” he asked bluntly.
Lisa heard the indignant “Of course” from where she stood.
The grimness had returned to Slade’s face. “What I really meant was, is Morning Hawk behaving herself?”
Lisa knew Morning Hawk was Slade’s great-grandmother. She also knew that the elderly Apachemade Slade uneasy at times. She was, he’d said once, unpredictable and overly blunt. When Slade’s expression relaxed somewhat, Lisa guessed that his mother had assured him that Morning Hawk was behaving herself and for her family’s sake, Lisa was glad.
Next, Slade asked to speak to Jess, his younger brother, who, Lisa knew, ran the ranch for his mother.
From Slade’s side of the conversation, she gathered that Jess had set up the protective perimeter. Knowing her family was safe, she stretched out on the bed and allowed herself to relax.
When Slade hung up, she turned on the television. She was too tired to make small talk and, for a short while at least, she didn’t want to think about who was trying to kill her.
“Think I’ll wash up, too,” Slade said, heading into the bathroom.
Lisa tried to ignore his presence by concentrating on the movie on the TV screen, but, in her tired state, her eyelids grew heavier and closed over her eyes. The sound of the shower took precedence over all other noises in the room and her inner vision was filled with the image of her and Slade bathing together. Her jaw firmed in self-directed irritation. Opening her eyes, she pushed the image from her mind. She’d never thought of herself as the affair type. And she wasn’t, really. Slade had been the only man she’d ever shared a bed with. And she hadn’t planned on doing that. But the attraction had been too strong.
A bitter smile curled up one corner of her mouth. Besides, she’d been certain she could break down the barriers he’d kept around his heart and that one day he’d marry her. By the time she accepted the fact that she wasn’t going to succeed, Andy was on the way.
In the shower, his voice masked by the running water, Slade cursed under his breath. He’d known she was wearing nothing under the terry-cloth robe and had needed no imagination to picture her without it. He remembered every inch of her in vivid detail. Why couldn’t she be more practical and accept the fact that physically they were a great match and not demand any more?
Returning to the room, a question that had been on his mind insisted on being asked. “Since you didn’t want a life with me, why didn’t you get an abortion?”
Lisa opened her eyes and met his gaze. “I didn’t want a life with you and your ghost ,” she corrected. “And I still don’t,” she added pointedly. “As for the abortion, from the moment I discovered I was pregnant, my baby was a real person to me. And, maybe, I wanted a piece of you that Claudette didn’t possess.” Mentally she kicked herself. She hadn’t meant to be so open about her feelings, but she’d been holding too much inside for too long and in her tired state, it was escaping. She sat up, her shoulders squared with pride. “I realize that given the choice you would have preferred that he’d never been born.”
Slade’s gaze leveled on her. “No. I wouldn’t have wanted that. What I would have wanted, was to have known the truth from the beginning so that I could have been there when he was born.”
“I did what I thought was best,” she returned through clenched teeth.
Slade grimaced as if angry with himself. “Sorry, I don’t want to argue with you. I understand why you did what you did.” His tone took on a terse plea. “But now that I know about Andy, I want to be a full-time father. I’m asking you to give our marriage a chance to
Handing the phone over to Slade, she heard him ask to speak to Andy and watched as the grim lines of his face softened. When he finished talking to his son, he asked to speak to his mother.
“Are you making our guests comfortable?” he asked bluntly.
Lisa heard the indignant “Of course” from where she stood.
The grimness had returned to Slade’s face. “What I really meant was, is Morning Hawk behaving herself?”
Lisa knew Morning Hawk was Slade’s great-grandmother. She also knew that the elderly Apachemade Slade uneasy at times. She was, he’d said once, unpredictable and overly blunt. When Slade’s expression relaxed somewhat, Lisa guessed that his mother had assured him that Morning Hawk was behaving herself and for her family’s sake, Lisa was glad.
Next, Slade asked to speak to Jess, his younger brother, who, Lisa knew, ran the ranch for his mother.
From Slade’s side of the conversation, she gathered that Jess had set up the protective perimeter. Knowing her family was safe, she stretched out on the bed and allowed herself to relax.
When Slade hung up, she turned on the television. She was too tired to make small talk and, for a short while at least, she didn’t want to think about who was trying to kill her.
“Think I’ll wash up, too,” Slade said, heading into the bathroom.
Lisa tried to ignore his presence by concentrating on the movie on the TV screen, but, in her tired state, her eyelids grew heavier and closed over her eyes. The sound of the shower took precedence over all other noises in the room and her inner vision was filled with the image of her and Slade bathing together. Her jaw firmed in self-directed irritation. Opening her eyes, she pushed the image from her mind. She’d never thought of herself as the affair type. And she wasn’t, really. Slade had been the only man she’d ever shared a bed with. And she hadn’t planned on doing that. But the attraction had been too strong.
A bitter smile curled up one corner of her mouth. Besides, she’d been certain she could break down the barriers he’d kept around his heart and that one day he’d marry her. By the time she accepted the fact that she wasn’t going to succeed, Andy was on the way.
In the shower, his voice masked by the running water, Slade cursed under his breath. He’d known she was wearing nothing under the terry-cloth robe and had needed no imagination to picture her without it. He remembered every inch of her in vivid detail. Why couldn’t she be more practical and accept the fact that physically they were a great match and not demand any more?
Returning to the room, a question that had been on his mind insisted on being asked. “Since you didn’t want a life with me, why didn’t you get an abortion?”
Lisa opened her eyes and met his gaze. “I didn’t want a life with you and your ghost ,” she corrected. “And I still don’t,” she added pointedly. “As for the abortion, from the moment I discovered I was pregnant, my baby was a real person to me. And, maybe, I wanted a piece of you that Claudette didn’t possess.” Mentally she kicked herself. She hadn’t meant to be so open about her feelings, but she’d been holding too much inside for too long and in her tired state, it was escaping. She sat up, her shoulders squared with pride. “I realize that given the choice you would have preferred that he’d never been born.”
Slade’s gaze leveled on her. “No. I wouldn’t have wanted that. What I would have wanted, was to have known the truth from the beginning so that I could have been there when he was born.”
“I did what I thought was best,” she returned through clenched teeth.
Slade grimaced as if angry with himself. “Sorry, I don’t want to argue with you. I understand why you did what you did.” His tone took on a terse plea. “But now that I know about Andy, I want to be a full-time father. I’m asking you to give our marriage a chance to
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